The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an epidemiologic surveillance system that was established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health, but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems that can occur during…

The rates and associated features of suicidal ideation among 5,641 patients seeking routine, nonsuicide related care in an inner-city emergency department were examined. Approximately 8% of patients seeking routine care in the emergency department reported some form of suicidal ideation within the past 2 weeks. Suicidal ideation was common in…

Some recent studies suggest that sexual minorities may have worse health-related outcomes during adolescence because they report lower levels of family connectedness, a key protective resource. Using data from wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 11,153; 50.6% female; mean age = 21.8 years), this study extends prior…

Life continues to hold considerable risk for adolescents in the United States. In 2006, the teen death rate stood at 64 deaths per 100,000 teens (13,739 teens) (KIDS COUNT Data Center, 2009). Although it has declined by 4 percent since 2000, the rate of teen death in this country remains substantially higher than in many peer nations, based…

Objectives: To describe prevalence of childhood experiences of adversity in rural South African youth and their associations with health outcomes. Methods: We analyzed questionnaires and blood specimens collected during a baseline survey for a cluster randomized controlled trial of a behavioral intervention, and also tested blood HIV and herpes…

Objective: Despite high rates of firesetting among community adolescents, little is known about its correlates. This study identifies the mental health and substance use correlates of four firesetting levels in an epidemiological sample of adolescents. Methods: Three thousand, nine hundred and sixty-five (3,965) students in grades 7 to 12 were…

This publication provides the reader with an overview of the research done on the connection between the use of alcohol and other drugs and the ideation and/or completion of suicide among adolescents. It also provides information and resources on how to develop a youth suicide prevention program. The introduction gives a brief overview of the…

Presents case study of 44-year-old male admitted to acute psychiatric unit and diagnosed as having chemical dependency, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and major depression. Following description of the case, comments are given by Candace Coggins, clinical specialist, and Jane Zibelin, Director of Nursing, and by Lois…

Analyzed self-reported history of parasuicide with respect to use of intoxicants in national sample of 12,000 Norweigan adolescents. Proportion of parasuicides was 8.3%, being higher among girls and those living without both parents; and rate increased with age, use of intoxicants, depression, and loneliness. Found positive associations between…

This report presents data on the current status of adolescent health. Many of the measures of health status are shown by single year of age or by 2- or 3-year age intervals to highlight the changes that occur in health status as adolescents move through this important developmental period. Summary measures combining 5- or 10-year age groups (the…